Miniature Pig Discipline 101: What to Know

Miniature pigs are intelligent creatures. Unfortunately, miniature pigs can also be aggressive creatures, especially if they aren’t disciplined properly and consistently from a young age. This aggressive behaviour can lead to biting, among other issues, that no individual or family should have to deal with.

Aggressive behaviour usually doesn’t occur because your pig is upset or angry at you but because they are trying to assert their dominance in the household. As such, it’s important that you address the problem early on.

The Problem: There is No Proper Training

If there’s one major problem when it comes to micro pigs and discipline, it’s that many owners believe they’ve established patterns of discipline but actually haven’t. In fact, many owners think that just because their pig understands “No!” or other disciplinary phrases, that they’re “disciplined.” But this isn’t necessarily true.

Delving a bit deeper into the supposed “discipline,” many owners reveal that the pig does, in fact, run the show. This might mean that your pig will listen when you say no, but do the unwanted behaviour when no one is looking. It might also mean that you can pick up the pig, but only on their terms.

Unfortunately, this can leave a pig feeling dominant and feel aggressive that may not have been present before. Luckily, you can do something about it.

Step-by-Step Guide to Eliminate Dominant Behaviour in Your Micro Pig

At six months of age, your micro pig will begin testing the waters of what they can get away with. As such, it’s important that you take proactive steps to stop the behaviour either before it starts or shortly thereafter to prevent a minor issue from becoming a major problem.

Common signs of aggressive behaviour in miniature pigs include:

Standing still while holding their head low, often before biting;

Snapping in the air;

Lunging to nip a rival, and then stepping back;

Swinging their head in a sideways motion; and

Biting.

Here is a step-by-step guide of how to confront aggressive behaviour in your pet:

Gently Hold Your Pig’s Mouth Closed – By first petting your pig, you can get them comfortable as you hold their mouth closed. You may even want to move a few inches away and do the same. This is preparation to make the necessary behavioural corrections.

Create the Situation – Pigs will often snap or bite at you in reaction to the same event. You should set up this event so when the negative behaviour occurs, you can reach to the pig and hold their mouth shut. You should hold it shut for three seconds and when you release, state a firm “No!” This puts you in control of the situation and prevents you having to chase the pig, which can interfere with how he or she learns to correct negative behaviour.

Increase the Severity of Punishment – You can do this by increasing the time you hold the pig’s mouth shut by 1 second every time you’re forced to do so. It’s important you remain calm and don’t show emotion when this happens. You should also continue on with life as usual after the event and not punish your pig by ignoring them or locking them away.

Continue With the Process Until the Behaviour Stops – If your pig still has not learned by the time you’re counting to 15 seconds, it’s important to escalate punishment. You can do so by lifting the pig off their front legs while holding their mouth shut for 5 seconds. You may also want to drag the pig backwards at increasing intervals until the behaviour has ended.

Don’t Give Up on Your Pig!

Some owners are frightened or unsure about aggressive behaviour in their pet micro pig and as such, are tempted to find a new home for their pet in desperation.

However, with four to five weeks of careful, consistent discipline, you can show your pet who is in charge and get back on track to a happy, healthy relationship with your pet.

Comments
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I got a potbelly pig around Christmas time and since then she has been tearing up stuff constantly. I have tried multiple ways of disciplining her but nothing seemed to get across to her that what she was doing was wrong. I seriously need help in finding the right solution to getting her out of that habit.

I got a potbelly pig around Christmas time and since then she has been tearing up stuff constantly. I have tried multiple ways of disciplining her but nothing seemed to get across to her that what she was doing was wrong. I seriously need help in finding the right solution to getting her out of that habit.